I'm Not Alone Anymore
by Angel Weasel-Woman
Summary: AU What if Haku had managed to leave the Hidden Mist Country before Zabuza found him? What if Naruto and he happened to meet? How will their lives change? Or, more importantly, how will their destinies change?
1. Meetings

Haku peered out from his cardboard box-shelter. Watching the feet of the people running to get out from the icy rain, he frowned.

With rain there were no people. With no people there was no food. With no food, there was pain.

Haku decided he hated the rain.

Wrapping his arms about himself to ward off a chilling wind that blew in the hated wetness with it, he curled up in as tight a ball possible and drifted into sleep.

With sleep, there was no pain.

Haku liked sleep.

* * *

Naruto frowned as he watched the other children from his swing. Why would they never let him play with them? He never did anything to them, did he?

Shaking his head, he folded his arms across his chest.

If they didn't want to play with him, he didn't want to play with them.

Standing up from the swing, Naruto walked off, ignoring the other, sneering children and the stinging of tears wanting to fall.

* * *

Haku's vision blurred for a moment and he swayed, reaching out to balance himself on something. When was the last time he'd eaten? Two days ago? Four?

Shaking his head free of those thoughts and his dizziness, he continued his way to the pier. Maybe someone there would give him something.

Anything.

Walking the docks, his wide eyes taking in the sights, a tall, sturdy man clapped a hand on his shoulder.

"What are you doing here, little girl?"

Pursing his lips at the man's unintentional gender confusion, Haku looked up at him.

"I'm a boy," he said softly.

The man frowned and shrugged it off. "Then what are you doing here, little _boy_?"

"I'm looking."

"For?"

"Something…" Quietly, to himself, he added, "Or someone."

"Well, whatever it is, I'm sure you won't find it here. Now get moving." Giving the boy a shove in the opposite direction, the man continued on his way.

Steadying himself after another wave of dizziness, Haku watched the man walk off. I won't find it here, he thought. I need…

He watched as a ship sailed out onto the water.

I need to leave…

* * *

Naruto sighed softly and sat on the edge of one of the piers. This was one of his favorite places – the people were always too busy here to do anything (or not do anything, as the case always seemed to be) to him. Kicking his legs, he leaned back on his arms, closed his eyes and let the cool sea breeze wash over him, calming his mind.

* * *

Haku peered out from the box he was hidden under. So far he hadn't been noticed. All about him, men shouted, preparing to unload at a place called "Konoha Docks," wherever that was. Noticing a pair of feet moving closer to him, Haku quickly resealed the box, determined not to be seen.

* * *

Naruto watched, fascinated, as the sailors unloaded their cargo. Picking up all those boxes and setting them down looked like a lot of work. Maybe he could do something like that someday.

As he watched the cargo, Naruto noticed a box near the back shift suddenly. Blinking, he saw the lid lift up and out crawled one of the prettiest children he had ever seen in his life.

Long, matted, black hair falling to the shoulders. Eyes, wide and black as night, looking around to make sure no one was watching. Long thick lashes around those same eyes. Pale skin bearing only a few abrasions.

Noticing no one looking (and not noticing Naruto), the other child took off from the docks, fast as possible.

Standing, Naruto, deciding to see who this pretty child was, followed.

* * *

Haku bolted deeper and deeper into this new village, avoiding all the stares and curious glances in his direction.

None of those men had seen him. For that he was thankful.

Now all that had to be done, was find out where he was.

Coming to a halt near a large tree with a single wooden swing hanging from the lowest branch, he dropped into a sitting position to catch his breath.

From somewhere behind him came the rustling of grass being trodden on. Turning about, he saw a young boy, around his own age of six, watching him curiously with soft blue eyes. An overly large pair of goggles held his mop of blonde hair back and he was dressed in a black shirt and blue pants.

"Hi," the other boy chirped, smiling softly. "My name's Naruto, who are you?"

"…" Haku bit his bottom lip. He remember people trying to get to know him and gain his trust before breaking and destroying it not even a few days later. Seeing the boy's smile fade slightly and his eyes dim, he frowned slightly.

This was a new place.

Maybe people would be different here…

Naruto took a step back – obviously this child was going to be like all the others. No matter where they were from, they would all hate him. He turned and was about to start walking away, when a soft voice spoke, "Haku."

He turned once more to face the child again.

"Wha…?"

"My name is Haku. It's nice to meet you, Naruto."

Naruto blinked before smiling broadly. "Hi, Haku!"

"I'm a boy!" Haku said suddenly.

With another blink, Naruto grinned and said, "So m'I! Wanna go play?"

With a tentative smile, Haku the boy nodded and was quickly swept up into a two-player game of tag.

Maybe his something or someone was here…

* * *

Yay! Done with first chpter!

Naruto: Now you need to get on with the next ones.

Angel: Bleh. Fine. I'll do it.

Nine: And that means she'll never get around to it.

Angel: Hey – shut-up. I do write things I say I will.

Kakashi: No you don't.

Angel: glomps him and pouts Everyone's against me today.

Nine: Comes with being an author.

Naruto: And with us.

Angel: Bleh… Whatever. I any of you readers have any questions or comments, please feel free to ask or… well, comment since I can't think of anything right now. Well, I don't own Naruto, so, till next time!


	2. Iruka

Naruto blinked and looked to the sky, taking in the deep violet and light pink of the setting sun. Beside him, Haku fell to the grass, panting slightly. 

"Naruto-kun?" the dark-haired child asked. "What's wrong?" 

"It's getting dark," the blonde replied. He looked at Haku. "Where are you going to sleep?" 

Haku paused and thought for a moment. Just where _would_ he sleep? He had no home here (not that he did back in the Mist) and only one here he knew he could trust… 

Seeing Haku's frown deepening more and more, Naruto said slowly, "Well, there is one person who often lets me stay with him, but he's not here right now." 

"Then what are we going to do?" 

"We could…" 

* * *

With all the hustle and bustle of people heading home, no one noticed the two small children heading purposefully down the street. Pausing in front of a house with a dolphin painted on the mailbox, Naruto strode up to the door and attempted to open it. Pouting at it being locked, he motioned for Haku to follow him, and the two scuttled down the side of the house. 

Approaching a window with a large crack in it, Naruto grinned at Haku and pushed it open, the broken window sliding open easily. Clambering over the sill, Naruto pulled Haku inside and then closed the window, making sure it didn't lock. 

"Are you sure we should be doing this?" Haku asked warily as the blonde led him down a hallway. 

"Sure," Naruto responded. "Iruka knows me and I do this all the time." He conveniently forgot to mention that Iruka had always been in the house before. He smiled at Haku before the other boy could question him anymore and reached up to push open the door they had stopped in front of. 

"C'mon," Naruto told Haku, grabbing him by the wrist and dragging him over to the bed. "Iruka'll let us sleep here." 

"Just tonight?" Haku asked, clambering onto the bed. 

"Sure," Naruto said, curling up under the sheets and yawning. "Why not?" 

Within moments, the two were fast asleep. 

* * *

Iruka yawned and stretched his tired limbs as he walked up to his house. Mission complete and now time for sleep, he thought, fishing his keys from one of his belt pouches and unlocking his door. He shrugged off his Chuunin vest and threw it into a chair, untying his hitai-ate as he closed the door with his foot. He placed the forehead protector on the coffee table as he passed by and made his way to his room, ready for sleep. 

He pushed open his bedroom door and blinked tiredly at the sight of two small children having usurped his bed. He could tell Naruto right away, what with the boy's bright blonde hair and whisker-marking on his cheeks, but the other was completely new. With soft, delicate features, the child looked decidedly female, but he wasn't sure. 

For a moment, he was torn between waking the children and demanding to know who they were and passing out on the spot. 

Finally, he decided that it could wait until morning. Besides, Naruto was the only one who knew how to get inside and, Iruka was certain, that the boy wouldn't allow anyone he didn't know in. 

Nodding at his decision to wait until morning, Iruka wandered his way back to the living room, deciding that the couch would be more comfortable than the floor. 

* * *

"Naruto-kun." 

Poke. 

The child groaned and buried himself deeper into the bed. 

"Naruto-kun/" 

Poke poke. 

Naruto opened one groggy eye and looked at Haku, grumbling out, "What?" 

The dark-haired child told him, "You said we'd only stay one night." 

Naruto sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes and he thought back to the night before. Recalling his sleep-fogged words, he yawned and nodded. 

"Ok, then, let's go," he told Haku as they slid out of bed. 

The two, awakening more and more with every step, had just approached the door when it swung open to reveal a man of about the age of twenty with dark eyes and long black hair pulled into a ponytail. Across the bridge of his nose ran a long scar 

At the sight of the strange man, Haku gasped and ducked behind Naruto. The blonde, however, with a big grin, called out, "Iruka!" 

* * *

looks at how many reviews this has Holy! This is a lot! I didn't expect this much! Thank you to all who reviewed! 

Naruto: mutter suck up. 

Angel: baps him Shut-up. ignores him This is the most reviews for _anything_ of mine (I think) and I know this is going to devastate you all, but I don't have a plot for this thing! So please, loyal reviewers - 

Nine: cough; gets a kunai thrown at her 

Angel: - if any of you have a decent plot idea - or at least an idea as to how the teams are gonna work! - please tell me! 

Kakashi: And now that the pathetic pleading is over with… 

Angel: Time for reviewer responses! 

Sailor Omega/ White Valkerie - Yeah, muses suck gets stuff thrown at her; turns around and yells at muses And I'm glad you enjoyed this. 

Continuity - You're right - yes there is. pout 

Sour Green Apple - Yup - AU. 

Nora D - Here you go then 

RamenSquirrel - Waa! Arigatou! 

Demon-owl - updated 

east-is-red - No - pranks is who Naruto is! Now he just has a partner in crime Meh - fangirl nature. And, yup 

Ryuuen Chou - May not be soon - but it is updated. 

Kiharu - Thank you. 

S-Wanderer999 - Yes; I have no earthly idea; and as for the Haku x Naru thing, I'm thinking of writing a side-story for the pairing and keeping the main fic clean and romance-less. 

Skittles the Sugar Fairy - Thank you. 

Shitsumon - Yay friends! 

Midnight Fairy - Thank you! 

Hanachan - Haku x Naru is kawaii, but it won't be in this fic - look for a side story, tho. 

Akira - No yaoi. Just an eventual shounen-ai side story. 

Puppet in the Corner - Really? Well, I haven't read you fic yet, and I hope you aren't mad with me a'cause of it. ; And thanks. 

Sadistic Demon - Here's another one for ya 

e - Thank you 

lilvietdevilgrl - Here you go! 

- Not in this one. And Thanks. 

someone - Thank you 

vixen - here's the next chap 

Dark Flame Girl - You bethcha 

Miako - Thakns. And here's another chapter. 

Distant Stars - Yeah, Haku is pretty thoughtful, but in this one, he hasn't been alone for so long that her starts contemplating things that much. That comes later. And yes, I am planning on having others join them in later chapters - yay for them. 

Angel: Wow. That's a lot. And now that that's done with - I don't own Naruto, so, till next time!


	3. Introductions

"Iruka-niisan!" Naruto called, grinning broadly as Haku shuffled behind him nervously.

"Good morning, Naruto," said Iruka with a smile. His eyes flicked over the blonde child to the small boy behind him. "And who is this?"

"This is Haku!" Naruto beamed and pushed said boy in front of him. "And he's my friend!"

Iruka eyes Haku critically, the dark haired child blushing slightly. "G-good morning, Iruka-san," he murmured, eyes on the floor. "It's nice to meet you."

The man's gaze relaxed, sensing the honesty behind the boy's dark eyes. "It's nice to meet you, too, Haku-kun. Where are you from?"

"I, uh…" The boy's already soft voice quieted even more, making Iruka strain to catch it. "I'm from…"

"Iruka-niisan!" Naruto whined suddenly and loudly. "I'm hungry – no one would feed me yesterday!"

Haku, grateful for the interruption and feeling his own stomach growling, closed his mouth and nodded, cheeks reddening even more. Iruka sighed, realizing he would get no information out of hungry children, and smiled.

"Ok, then, Naruto. Why don't you show Haku-kun to the dining room while I get breakfast done, all right?"

"Ok," Naruto chirped before taking Haku by the arm and dragging him away.

Iruka lifted his eyes to the ceiling and shook his head slightly, stepping into the kitchen to quickly fix something up.

* * *

Haku smiled as he listened to Naruto jabber on about something or other involving the Ninja Academy. He looked up suddenly, hearing footsteps approaching and saw Iruka walking into the room, bowls of steaming _something_ in either hand. Cutting off mid-word, Naruto lifted his nose to the air and inhaled, eyes brightening.

"Ramen!"

Iruka grinned and walked closer to the children but continued to hold the bowls above their heads. "Ah, but what flavor?"

Naruto scrunched p his nose for a moment in thought before beaming and chirping, "Miso."

"Correct!" With that, Iruka set the bowls down in front of the two and Haku could see that it was full of noodles with a brown broth laced with vegetables and other things he couldn't quite identify. Taking the chopsticks from Iruka, who then left the room, he murmured along with Naruto's exuberant cry of "Itadakimasu!" and slowly began to eat the meal before him.

When Iruka returned a few minutes later with his own bowl, Naruto was already slurping down the broth and eyeing Haku's near-full bowl. Murmuring his own thanks, Iruka brought the noodles to his mouth and paused, spying Haku's, near untouched, meal.

"Aren't you hungry, Haku-kun?"

Haku gasped and lowered his eyes to the table, stammering out, "I… I didn't want to make –" his voice dropped even softer "- make myself sick again."

Iruka nodded, thoughtlessly pushing his bowl further away from Naruto's sneaking chopsticks with his own, and told Haku, "Well, eat what you can and I'll save (Naruto whined and Iruka ignored him) the rest for you when you can eat some more, all right?"

Haku nodded, still rosy-cheeked, and managed to down about a quarter of his ramen before his stomach began to protest.

* * *

Iruka watched as the two children played happily in the shade of the park trees, both ignoring the looks given to them by others. Folding his arms across his chest, he lightly bit his bottom lip and eyed the dark-haired child.

Haku, he thought, came out of nowhere. Every time he had attempted to gather some kind of information out of the child (be it full name, parental information, where he lived, ect.) there was always come kind of distraction to interrupt them. All he truly knew was that the boy was around Naruto's age and had been practically starved before the blonde had gotten to him.

Bowing his head, but still keeping an eye on the pair, Iruka overheard soft, disgusted mutterings behind him.

"Just what is _that_ doing over there with that child?"

"You would think that her mother would know better than to let her play with it."

"Che. I hope someone decides to organize a hunt soon to –"

Iuka, unable to listen anymore slander on the boy who called him "niisan," stood suddenly, calling for the two children. When both Naruto and Haku were standing before him (much to the disgust of the people behind him), he said cheerily, "It's almost lunchtime, so why don't we go find something to eat?"

"Yeah!" Naruto cheered, grabbing Iruka's hand and nuzzling it before tugging him in one direction. "Let's go to Ichiraku!"

Iruka grinned at Naruto's sweet, yet demanding, tone and looked to the mystery child. "Haku-kun? Would you like to go – it's more ramen."

The boy gave him his standard blush at being acknowledged directly and nodded, saying, "I'm a little hungry now, Iruka-san."

"All right, then. We'll go to Ichi-" Iruka hadn't even finished speaking when Naruto grabbed Haku by the arm and dragged him off, leaving the man to shake his head and chuckle.

* * *

Naruto walked into the house, full and sleepy, wanting no more than to curl up on Iruka's bed and sleep. When said man stepped up to the front door, he turned to Haku and asked, "Haku-kun? Would you like me to walk you home?"

The boy reddened and turned away, tears welling in his eyes. With a shivering breath, he mumbled something too soft for even Iruka to hear. Naruto, Iruka's question having caught his interest, frowned and murmured, "Haku… chan…"

"What… was that?"

"My… my home was destroyed and my parents were killed a-… about a year ago…"

"Oh, Haku-kun…" A year? This poor boy had been without home and family for a year? Iruka felt a tugging on his hand and looked down to see Naruto's orb sof sky surrounded by clouds pleading with him.

Iruka-niisan…?"

The man sighed sadly, but a corner of his lips quirked upward as he turned to face Haku. "Haku-kun? Would you like to stay here?" Those deep onyx eyes widened and Iruka continued with, "I don't mind and Naruto could use the extra company…"

Iruka didn't need to bother finishing as Haku ran at him, wrapping small arms about his thigh, hugging him tightly.

* * *

Finally! Take that you jerks! I updated!

Naruto: After only what? Five months?

Angel: Hey – shut-up! I had no plot! Speaking of plot, I want to thank every one who donated a plot and team idea. I have already chosen a plot, but the teams are still gonna be weird, for you see – an extra two boys will soon be joining the happy little family. And -- -gnat buzzes by; Angel swats at it; misses- Gah! Shino – take thine bugs away!

Shino: -there for no real reason- … No.

Angel: Please?

Shino: … No.

Angel: I hate you. And you know what – since I won't let you leave unless you take the bugs with you, _you_ have to do the disclaimer.

Shino: I'm not your muse.

Angel: I don't care – say it!

Shino: -sigh- Angel does not own Naruto.

Angel: Excellent. So, till next time! -gnat passes by- Grrrr….


	4. Gaara

"Monster! Monster!"

Gaara watched as the other children fled, leaving him all alone once again. Crimson hair fell into green eyes darkened with sadness and the sand about him thrashed angrily, wanting to harm those who hurt the boy it protected. Refusing the sand's urge to injure something, Gaara turned away, the ball he had just retrieved falling from his fingertips and bouncing aside, rolling to a stop a few feet off.

With tear obscuring his vision, the child made his way towards his house on the east end of the village, setting sun at his back.

Why do so many people hate me? he thought, watching from the corners of his eyes as people stumbled and ran into each other in order to avoid him, eyeing him with the utmost disgust. Why do they call me "monster"? I haven't done anything to them – nothing I can control. Tears began to steadily stream down his cheeks. Why…?

Reaching up absently, Gaara pushed open the door to his house, announcing his presence for anyone to hear. From the couch rose a young man with shoulder–length blonde hair and deep oak eyes turned towards him.

"Good evening, Gaara," said Yashamaru as he walked over to the child. "What happened to make you cry?"

Gaara opened his mouth to speak, but the only sound that left was a sob as more tears gushed from his eyes.

"I…" he managed to choke out at length, "I… d–don't want to be… hated…"

Yashamaru sighed softly and kneeled before the child. "Don't cry, Gaara. Settle down and hush…"

Gaara grabbed the scarf about his neck and bit into it, stifling his sobs until he finally managed to calm himself. Wiping his eyes, he looked to Yashamaru and asked softly, "Do… do you hate me, Yashamaru–san?"

The blonde smiled a fake smile and said in the same soft tone, "There are those that love you somewhere, I'm certain." He stood and gently, with feeling of revulsion running up and down his spine from touching the boy, ushered Gaara further into the house. "Now, come inside and try not to make too much noise – Temari and Kankuro are asleep. Well, Kankuro _should_ be asleep…" He stood and began to walk to the bedrooms to see if the brown–haired boy truly was in the realm of dreams.

"I'm going up to the roof," Gaara mumbled at Yashamaru's retreating back. "… Good–bye…"

* * *

Gaara watched the quarter moon trail across the sky, the stars winking down at him from their places in the velvety night. Far below him, the streets were silent and not even the sounds of other nocturnal animals could reach him. Drawing his knees to his chest, the redhead tore his eyes away from his silent vigil and cast them to his feet.

"Why do they all hate me?" Gaara questioned the wind, receiving not even a gust in reply. Feeling hot tears trailing down his cheeks once more, he shut his eyes tight and whimpered softly, "What can I do?"

A soft zephyr blew past, the sand in it twining about Gaara's body like a great cat and a single emerald leaf came to rest beside his feet. Opening his eyes, the child looked longingly at the leaf before a resolution came to his mind.

Standing, Gaara cast a final glance to the streets from his perch on the roof before vanishing inside the house behind him, determined to carry out his decision before he got too scared.

* * *

A shadowed figure crept silently down the street of Sunagakure no sato, the sand in his wake settling over his footprints to hide his trail. As he fast approached the village gates, a strong gust of sand–filled wind blinded the guards and blew open the gates, freeing the shadow from the confines of the village.

* * *

Naruto grinned through the leaves and branches at Haku who sat in the tree opposite him. The dark haired child flashed a smile back at him and glanced to the ground to be sure that Iruka hadn't followed them just yet.

Seeing no adults about, the children leapt from their perches and to the ground, stifling their giggles.

Fro three months Haku lived with Naruto and Iruka and neither could ever remember being happier. Iruka had, in fact, been talking about going to the Hokage to see if he could adopt the children.

"C'mon Haku–chan!" Naruto cried, running ahead of the other boy. "It's just down this way – you can hear it!"

Haku smiled and picked up his pace to match the bubbly blonde, sure enough hearing the babbling of the stream just past the grove of trees ahead of them. Fighting through the brush, the two tumbled onto the muddy bank, giggling joyously at both the fact that they had _found_ the stream and that they were both slightly muddy for it.

Pulling themselves to their feet, the children too in the sight of the crystal clear water, sparkling in the warm sun, and the rocky bottom only a foot or so below the surface. Darting between the nature–smoothed stones were the fat bodies of fish, sparkling in the light, showing off sleek and shimmering scales.

Naruto gasped and cried happily, "Fishies! The fishies are here!" Grabbing Haku's arm, he dragged the other to the edge of the stream and together they peered down at the fish.

Haku smiled and, after a moment of watching, reached out with a tentative arm to gently press a few fingers into the water, feeling the familiar coolness ooze up his arm from his fingertips. At the first ripples, the fish flashed away to hide in the shadows of the rocks. Naruto whined, but Haku smiled, lowering his hand more into the water and gently twitching his fingers, enticing one of the braver fish to come out to inspect.

Naruto crooned, grinning as he watched the fish brush up against Haku's fingers, gently nibbling. Turning to the blonde, and feeling the coolness now running through his entire body, Haku pondered for a moment, worry and fear flashing through his mind. Naruto–kun is my friend… he thought. He wouldn't hurt me…

"Naruto–kun," Haku said softly, so as not to disturb the fish, "would you like to see the fish closer?"

"'Closer'?" Naruto blinked and looked at Haku. "What do you mean, 'closer'?"

"Like this." Haku furrowed his eyebrows, silently dipping his other hand into the water and gently drifting it over to the fish, feeling the coolness in his body moving to his hands and back into the water. After a moment of concentration, Haku gently lifted his hands from the stream, and Naruto gasped, seeing the sphere of liquid hovering between the other child's clasped hands, the fish inside swimming around frantically, darting about it's watery cage. The blonde looked into Haku's eyes and, not seeing the fear and sadness in them, told him, "That's awesome, Haku–chan! How do you do that?"

Haku blinked but smiled and explained, "I've always been able to do it – I'm not sure how, though. But…" Haku glanced away and lowered the fish back into the water, watching as it frantically swam away. "It's the reason why I don't have my old home or family anymore…"

Naruto pouted at Haku's nostalgic tone and pressed the top of his head to Haku's shoulder. "Haku–chan…"

A sudden rustling of bushes caught the two's attention and after a moment, there emerged a boy of about their age with dirty, deep crimson hair plastered to his head. He looked at them with fearful light green eyes surrounded by sleepless shadows. His clothes were covered in dirt and he looked a bit underfed.

For a moment the new boy looked like he was about to flee before deciding against it. Instead he gave a shaky smile and tentative, "H… Hello…"

Naruto beamed to be on the receiving end of even the slightest friendship. Waving to the new boy on the other side of the steam, Naruto cried, "Hello! My name's Naruto and this is Haku–chan! Who are you?"

"I'm… Gaara…"

Naruto grinned even more. "Hi, Gaara–kun! You wanna play?"

Gaara blinked in surprise, but when Haku clamored in, he gave a hesitant smile and trudged across the stream to join in a muddy game of tag.

* * *

Up in one of the higher branches of a tree overlooking the stream, Iruka watched over the three children as he had all day (being able to conceal your presence was a handy technique for dealing with children, he thought). He had seen Haku's advanced skill and stored it away in his mind for further reference – especially should the child decide to become a ninja like Naruto always rambled on about.

He had felt the redhead, Gaara's, presence long before the boy had made any noise and almost come out of hiding before realizing that he felt no malice or hate from him – only a sadness and need that could have been an echo from Naruto or Haku just a few months ago.

And from the way said children had greeted each other and how they now played, Iruka knew that he would have one more resident soon to join his home.

* * *

Ha! Take that, Vannah–Vannah! Three updates in one week! Now you can't beat me when we get back!

Naruto: She'll find an excuse.

Angel: Don't give her ideas! > And just for that, you say the disclaimer!

Naruto: >P Angel doesn't own Naruto, So there.

Angel: So, till next time!


	5. A New Home

Iruka opened bleary orbs before shutting them tight, cursing whoever had left open the curtains as he tried to ignore the pain in the back of his eyes. Groaning and not wanting to leave his bed, he shifted slightly and felt his back press against something warm and solid. Scrunching up his nose, he turned his face away from the burning sun and glanced over his shoulder to see Haku lying next to him, asleep, their backs touching. Squinting, Iruka face forward once more and looked down to see Naruto curled up against his chest, drooling slightly.

Smiling, Iruka sat up carefully so as not to disturb the young sleepers and slid out of the bed that, at one point, had been his. Pulling on a pair of black sweatpants over his boxers and tugging on a gray undershirt, he left the room, silently closing the door behind him. Walking down the hall, he stepped into the living room and paused, seeing the newest resident, Gaara, sitting on the windowsill with all the grace and balance of a cat, staring out into the neighboring yard with unblinking eyes.

"Gaara-kun?" Iruka called tentatively. The redhead turned about to fix those staring eyes upon him, shadows about them and those of the room darkening his irises to a deep forest green. "Did you sleep last night?"

Gaara slowly blinked once before turning back to the window, murmuring sadly, "I can't sleep."

Concern filled Iruka's mind and he stepped forward, standing next to the sill himself, and asked, "What do you mean "can't"? Nightmares?"

Gaara shook his head, repeating, "I _can't_ sleep… because of him…"

""Him"? "Him" who?"

Gaara merely pursed his lips and shook his head yet again. For a moment, Iruka wasn't sure what to do with the saddened boy, but he smiled cheerfully and asked if he would like to help with breakfast. Shadowed green eyes turned to him and Gaara smiled gently, following Iruka into the kitchen.

* * *

Haku was awakened by delicious scents wafting in from the kitchen and Naruto shoving him about a foot closer to the edge of the bed, chirping in his ear, "Wakey, Haku-chan!" 

Onyx eyes fluttered open and Haku yawned, stretching before asking, "What's going on?"

"It's breakfast time!" Naruto cried before jumping off the bed and bounding out the door. Haku clambered to the floor himself and, much more calmly, followed the blonde to the breakfast room. He saw the green-eyed child perched silently on a bar stool (Iruka having run out of chairs) and smiled softly.

"Good morning, Gaara-kun," Haku breathed, blushing when the boy looked directly at him.

"Good… morning?" Gaara repeated, sounding confused. "Why do you say that?"

"Uh, because…" Haku flustered before Naruto burst out with, "Because it's "good morning"! That's why you say it!"

Gaara blinked and mumbled softly to himself, "Good morning?" It felt nice to say it. And to have someone to say it _to_.

Iruka smiled at the sound of the boy's voice as he walked into the room, plates of eggs and toast balanced on his arms. He had almost been afraid that the redhead had swallowed his own tongue, what with how quiet he had been in the kitchen. Setting the plates down in front of the children, he told them, "Hurry up and eat – we're going to go see the Hokage after breakfast."

Naruto sputtered something around a mouthful of eggs and Iruka glared at him until his cheeks o longer puffed out. "What are we going to see the old man?"

"Because it's a surprise," Iruka told them with a smile, causing Naruto to pout. Haku and Gaara exchanged worried glances, but the look in the man's eyes reassured them slightly.

The four down their breakfast, the two foreign boys mulling over their plates a bit longer than they usually would have, before giving their dishes to Iruka to place in the kitchen and looking up at him expectantly. The man smiled as ushered them to his room where their clothes, all cleaned and nice-smelling, were waiting for them. Naruto was the first one to dress himself, and he happily cheered on the other two, wanting to know about this surprise as soon as he could.

When the children were finally all set and heading down the street toward the Hokage tower at the west end of the village, Haku and Gaara walked cautiously behind Iruka, watching the villagers with wide eyes. For as long as they could remember, they had never been able to walk through a village without having dirty looks thrown at them. Haku for possessing an advanced bloodline and Gaara for… The child shook his head, refusing to think about it. Instead, as they passed through the business district with tall buildings looking over them, people would smile at the two boys and there were times when adults would stop Iruka and chatter away to him, using words that went way over the children's heads.

"It's because he's a teacher," Naruto explained quietly, so as not to disturb the grown ups and call their attention to him. "But he's really nice – he doesn't use rulers."

Finally, Iruka would say goodbye to his elder companions and the four finally approached the tall, proud building resting under the four stone faces of leaders gone and living. Ushering the children within, Iruka was readily accepted into the main office where the old man sat behind his desk, long pipe emerging from his mouth.

"Good morning, Hokage-sama," Iruka said, bowing and smiling.

Gaara looked up at the village leader, memories of his own father flashing before his eyes and he silently stepped behind Iruka, fisting his hands in the loose fabric of his pants, the dust in the room beginning to quiver. Naruto looked to him as the adults began to talk in big words and gently nudged Haku. Asking what was wrong in a quiet whisper, Gaara answered just as softly, "My… father was a leader. He didn't like me much."

"Don't worry," Naruto told him with a grin and a wink, reassuring both earth- and water-bound children. "The old man isn't mean unless you do something bad. Then he can be scary."

Gaara offered a tentative smile, and loosened his grip on Iruka's clothing.

Above them, the adults' conversation drew to a close with Iruka signing three separate scrolls.

"Naruto," Iruka said, turning to the children, "Haku, Gaara." He handed each of them a scroll, identical except for the katakana depicting their names. "I want you three to take extra special care of these – don't let them get lost, torn, or even dirty. They're very important, all right?"

The children nodded solemnly, a rare occurrence for Naruto, as the scrolls' worth settled on their minds.

"What are they?" Naruto asked as they left the building, clutching his scroll and looking at it as though it were priceless gold.

"Adoption papers," came the simple reply.

"A… dopt…?" Naruto squinted and looked at the other boys, both as lost as he was.

"It means," Iruka clarified, smiling to himself, "that all of us are now family and no one can say any different."

Haku and Gaara's cries of joy were drowned out by Naruto overexuberant cry of joy as he threw himself at Iruka, wrapping his arms about the man's leg. The dark haired child exchanged glanced with the redhead and both thought, unknowingly together, A family…

* * *

-runs in room, clutching hair a la Hal from Malcom in the Middle- Shut up! -runs out- 

Shino: That moment of insanity was brought to you by months of being bitched at.

Itachi: Which she deserved. She– -gets kunai thrown at him- Sweet hell! Ok, I won't say anything.

Angel: -walks in; takes kunai back and cuddles it- Anyway, now that this has been updated, I need to get to writing my other things to protect my head from Vannah-Vannah's wrath. So… who the hell is still here? -glances around; sees Yondaime- You refuse to be cool, so get out of here. –Yondaime vanishes and is replaced by Obito- Yay! -glomps him- The only Uchiha that _isn't_ a bastard!

Obito: -is scarred for life- What going on? It was nice and peaceful in death!

Itachi: Welcome to Hell.

Obito: … -whine- I hate fangirls!

Angel: -ignores his whining- Since you're the newest member, you get to say the disclaimer.

Obito: -curses- Angel does not own Naruto or anything else that might be mentioned in this.

Angel: So, till next time!


	6. The Final Child

Uchiha Sasuke loved looking at the full moon. It was such a beautiful thing, hanging in the sky, casting a soft light upon the earth. He would look up at it often, searching for the beautiful woman hidden in the silver orb, grinning in delight when he finally found her.

His mother, when she tucked him in, would often laugh when he demanded to see the moon before he settled into bed.

"You shouldn't watch Selene so intently," she would tell him, gently pushing him down and dragging the covers over his body. "Or else the gods will confuse you with Endymion and cast you into eternal sleep."

"I dun wanna sleep f'ever," Sasuke would tell her, drowsiness slurring his words.

She would kiss him on the forehead and smile as she told him, "Then awaken tomorrow, and live your life vigilantly."

But Sasuke would always be asleep by then, never hearing his mother's last words. Only the soft tone of her voice would echo in his dreams, enticing him back into life every morning.

* * *

Sasuke laughed as he bounded though the streets of the Uchiha compound, his way lit by the paper lanterns his aunt made and sold daily. He'd passed, he'd passed! 

He couldn't wait to show his father the grade he had made!

His eyes trailed upwards, and he caught himself grinning at the sight of the moon.

"I did it, Selene!" he called to it, feeling slightly foolish for acknowledging his mother's stories at his age. But he couldn't bring himself to care about that. All he wanted was to go home and –

"Niisan?"

Sasuke came to a halt suddenly, his momentum almost causing him to fall forward, but he caught himself. He turned his face to the electric pole that had suddenly risen to caress the bottom of the moon. There was a shadow perched there – or had been one anyway.

Sasuke bit into his bottom lip, bringing his hands to rest at his sides, suddenly feeling extremely uncomfortable.

"What's going on?" he mumbled to himself. "Why would niisan…?" He gasped. Maybe his mother was in trouble! That would be the reason that his big brother would be… perched… on a pole in the middle of the night.

"Mama!" he cried into the night. "I'm coming mama!"

He clenched his hands and ran as fast as he could toward his house, not noticing how the moon suddenly turned blood red.

* * *

Iruka pressed a fist to his mouth, trying to keep from gagging at the scent drenching the air around him. He swallowed roughly to keep the bile down, jumping when he felt a hand fall heavily on his shoulder. He turned around to look into the single visible eye of Hatake Kakashi that was watching him with the same boredom it regarded everything with. 

"If you're going to be sick, don't do it in here," Kakashi told him coldly.

Iruka bit his lip to keep from frowning at the other man, and instead nodded. "I can control myself. It's just…"

He turned his eyes to the red-washed streets all around them. There were bodies everywhere, most dismembered and strewn all over the compound. He couldn't help but turn away when he saw a head staring up at him with wide, frightened eyes, blood streaming down its cheeks like crimson tears.

"How could one person do all this…?" Iruka continued, not expecting a response.

Kakashi sighed and rubbed the back of his head. "Easily. We're just lucky he's not after us."

Iruka frowned and was about to say something, when a soft whimper emerged from behind a small stand they were next to. He heard Kakashi silently pull out a kunai and he himself felt his fingers twitch toward his shuriken. He exchanged ready glances with the silver haired man, vaguely surprised that Kakashi's eye was showing actual emotion, and took a slow, steady step forward.

* * *

Sasuke couldn't help but whimper. His body was in pain from his brother's eyes, and his head hurt from the constant stench of blood, and his feet were numb from having his knees being pulled tightly to his chest, and he couldn't breathe without feeling like he was going to throw up. 

He felt tears prick the backs of his eyelids, and pulled his legs closer to himself, as though it would stop him from acting like a baby.

He could hear the rumble of voices, but he was too scared to go back out in the street.

Itachi could get him again if he went back out there.

Or, worse, he would just see his family there, lifeless bodies begging him to do something, _anything_.

Something hot and wet rolled down one cheek and he buried his face into his knees. He bit into the once-soft cloth, now rough with dirt and blood, to muffle any other sound that might have escaped.

The sound of footsteps reached his ears and he froze, willing his heart to stop pounding if only so that it wouldn't make so much noise.

A hand reached out to touch his shoulder.

And he screamed.

* * *

Iruka held the child in his arms, running his hand up and down the small back, making soothing nonsense sounds that managed to permeate the loud, wailing sobs. The small body was shuddering and he felt a pair of hands grasping the front of his vest so tightly, he was sure that the only way he was going to get them off was to cut the fabric. The ANBU next to him finished a quick overview of the child for any lingering jutsu, nodded once upon finding none, and then left in search of the Hokage. 

Kakashi approached the Chuunin, watching dully as the child shrunk away from his presence only to press closer into Iruka's chest. "Has he been looked over?"

"Just now."

"Take him to the hospital."

And with that, the silver-haired man left, again prowling through the dead houses in search of any other living thing.

Iruka began to rock the child, humming the same nonsense melody he used to calm Naruto and Gaara whenever they decided to have a fit, and began to move away carefully so as not to jar the child too much. He passed by another ANBU in a dog mask who pointed him in a safe direction that would lead him to the inner-city once more.

* * *

Gaara sat on the windowsill and looked solemnly outside, green eyes focusing intently on the sky above him, as though daring a cloud to appear and mar the pure blue that stretched on forever. Naruto was babbling on the chair next to him, waving his hands around animatedly for Iruka and Haku's benefits as though they wouldn't understand the story without his movement. 

It had been three days since Iruka had vanished in the middle of the night, coming back five hours later reeking of death and tears, and he still carried that same far-off look in his eyes. It was as though he were expecting something to happen. Naruto hadn't noticed, Gaara was sure, but Haku had. And Haku was scared for his new father.

"And then- And then, you know what I did, niisan?" Naruto was laughing, flailing his fists. "I took the gum and I spit it in his hair!"

Iruka laughed against his will. "Naurto, that wasn't a very nice thing to do."

Naruto ducked his head in an attempt to hide the grin that spread across his face. "I know – that's what made it so fun to do."

Iruka reached out and ruffled the child's hair, unable to be mad at such an adorable figure. The child beamed under the attention and playfully stuck his tongue out at Haku. "Hey, let's go play oneesan!"

The dark haired boy glowered and reached out to tug on Naruto's hair, but the blonde was too fast and he had leapt away just in time. "Don't call me that!"

"Oneesan, oneesan!" Naruto chanted, teasing his brother into a game of tag.

Iruka laughed at the children's antics, warning the two not to break anything as they darted down the hallway. Calling Haku "big sister" had become a joke between the two when Naruto had sleepily called the dark haired boy "'neesan" during their ritual good-night's.

A crash resonated down the hall and Iruka groaned, leaning his head back against the plush of the chair he sat in. He contemplated getting up and yelling at the boys, but he heard Haku's loud, stern voice he smiled. If that kept up, Haku was going to be mature enough to take care of all of them. But Iruka would still have to spoil the child to let him know that he was still little and didn't need to carry around the weight of the world as he did.

The chuunin's eyes flickered over to Gaara as the thought of stern children crossed his mind. It had been a while since the redhead had joined the village of the leaf – almost six months now – and Iruka had only seen the child smile three times. Once when Naruto and Haku had found him, the second when he had finally understood the meaning of the adoption papers now stored safely in the attic, and the final time when Iruka had asked if any of the boys had wanted to take his surname as their own.

The child turned away from the window, as though sensing Iruka's thoughts about him, and began to stare into the kitchen. Iruka quirked an eyebrow and was about to ask what Gaara wanted when the boy spoke.

"Phone."

Iruka blinked and suddenly the telephone in the kitchen burst into life, singing a loud, riling tune. The man jumped up to answer the device as Gaara continued to stare unblinkingly.

"Hello?" Iruka spoke one he had the phone in his hands.

"Umino-san?"

"Yes?"

"This is Kana with the hospital. We request that you come down right away."

Iruka linked. "Of course. I'll be right there."

"Thank you." And with that, the call ended. Iruka turned away from the kitchen and looked at Gaara who had moved to stand in the doorway.

"Gaara, I'm going to go now. I'll be back soon. You and Haku make sure Naruto doesn't break anything else, all right?"

Gaara nodded dreamily and began to walk away toward the sound of yelling that revealed where his two brothers were. Iruka, now confident in the knowledge that Naruto wouldn't be so wild, hurriedly fled the house to reach the hospital that stood in the center of the village.

* * *

A doctor was waiting at the reception desk for Iruka, looking up as the man entered the lobby. He was a tall man, with curly dark hair and worried eyes. 

"Umino-san?" he questioned as Iruka approached.

"That's me. Is something wrong?"

The doctor frowned, the expression looking out-of-place on his features. "The child that you brought in a few days ago – Uchiha Sasuke – has awoken."

"That's good," Iruka sighed. He had been worried about the child who had, upon arriving at the hospital, passed out and refused to awaken again. "What's wrong with him?"

"He refuses to allow anyone near him. We had a psychologist examine him as best as she could, and she figured that you might be able to get to him."

"Me?" Iruka blinked. "Why me?"

"You were the one that brought him in, correct?" Iruka nodded and the doctor continued. "Then perhaps Sasuke would be more comfortable with you."

Iruka bit his lip and looked around. He jumped slightly when he noticed that, as he had been talking with the doctor, they had been walking up to the room where the child was. The Chuunin was about to say something, but a sudden scream from within the room startled him.

He turned to watch a young nurse suddenly back out of the room, looking fairly frightened. The doctor turned to her and asked, "What happened?"

"The child was asleep and I went in to check his charts," the nurse began. "But when I got closer, he woke up and started screaming at me. Scared the hell out of me, if I may say so."

The doctor sighed and looked at Iruka as the child within the room quieted. "Umino-san? If you wouldn't mind."

Iruka refused to wring his hands together. If Sasuke hadn't appreciated the nurse's being in there, what made any of them think that _he_ would be better suited for the job? Instead of protesting – he knew it would continue to get him nowhere – he took a breath and entered the room cautiously.

The child looked up suddenly, black eyes flashing behind the veil of dirty hair that hung in his face. His hands were clenched and he seemed to be trying to vanish into the white sheets surrounding him. He looked about ready to start screaming again, but when he saw that it was Iruka, he leapt from the bed and threw himself into Iruka's stomach, clutching at the soft fabric of his shirt and sobbing. Without even thinking about it, Iruka wrapped his arms about the child's small frame and began humming gently.

The doctor, slipping into the room unnoticed by the child, quietly informed Iruka that, to release Sasuke from the hospital, there was a form waiting for him to sign down at the reception desk. Iruka nodded and gently hefted Sasuke into his arms, still continuing to hum as he began to make his way back to the front desk. The child quieted at the feel of Iruka's warmth, but he still continued to hold on as tight as he possibly could.

* * *

Naruto pouted and muttered, "Stupid Gaara. Don't you ever close your eyes?" 

As though to mock him, Gaara blinked slowly with a cat-like grace. Haku had managed to calm Naruto down just as Iruka had left, only to have his work come undone when Gaara announced that the dark-haired boy was in charge for the next hour or so. Naruto had thrown another fit, demanding to know why Haku was given the responsibility and practically letting the entire neighborhood know that he was old enough to be responsible too.

Finally, Haku had convinced Naruto to get into a staring contest with his other brother, which seemed to work. The blonde was no longer babbling or even moving so long as he was occupied with trying to beat Gaara. They had been staring silently at each other for almost an hour now, with only the occasional complaints from Naruto whenever he lost.

Just as the blonde was about to demand another contest, Gaara looked away and stated simply, "Sensei's home."

Just as the words finished leaving his mouth, there was the sound of the door opening and Iruka's voice called out, "Boys? Are you still here?"

Naruto jumped up and cheered, "We're alive!" And with that he bounded out of the room to tell his big brother everything that had happened since he had left. Haku pouted, knowing that his baby brother was going to add his own embellishments to everything and followed to make sure that Naruto was telling Iruka something at vaguely resembled the truth.

Gaara watched his brothers leave and carefully gathered himself into a standing position. Carefully, he picked his way down the hall, coming t a halt when he saw Iruka kneeling on the ground, the other two children huddled around him, looking curiously at the being in his arms.

"What's his name?" Gaara asked softly. "And how long is he going to stay here?"

Iruka looked up, not all that surprised that Gaara knew what was going on – he seemed to have a spark that allowed him to acknowledge things he shouldn't have ever known.

"His name is Sasuke."

The child in the chuunins's arms was looking about the room, large dark eyes peering owlishly at every little thing as though it were about to leapt out and attack him.

"Why is Sasuke here?" Naruto asked, grinning at the boy as he looked at him. Sasuke stared at the blonde's teeth for a moment before turning away with a shudder.

"He's gong to be staying with us for a while," Iruka informed the children seriously. "I'm expecting you all to help take good care of your new brother."

Haku looked up curiously. "Brother?"

"Yes," Iruka confirmed with a nod.

"Yay!" Naruto cheered. "We'll be sure to take good care of our baby brother, 'niisan!"

Iruka smiled. "He's still older than you, Naruto."

The blonde mock-pouted, but couldn't help smiling at the dark-haired boy as he turned to Naruto once more. "I'll be sure to protect him, even if he is older than me."

The End

* * *

There! It's done! I wash my hands of this! -goes to the bathroom to wash hands- Are you people happy now? 

Nine: -laughs at her-

Angel: I hate you. Anyway, now that I've completed this, I don't think I'll be touching this again. If, however, any of you out there want to write more on this, just give me an email (put the title of this fic in the subject, or I'll just end up deleting it) or a PM to let me know and then just give me some credit. So, till next time!


End file.
